Production of garments on straight bar knitting machines



PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS ON STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 G. TAYLOR Aug. 28, 1962 9 SheetsSheet 1 I x H v N PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS 0N STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 G. TAYLOR Aug. 28, 1962 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 nventor Tay r I :60 rye 3,050,967 PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS 0N STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 G. TAYLOR Aug. 28, 1962 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS 0N STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 G. TAYLOR Aug. 28, 1962 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 F/GG.

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Aug. 28, 1962 PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS 0N STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 F/GB MIJ. M3 1m PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS ON STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 G. TAYLOR Aug. 28, 1962 9 Sheets- Sheet 6 F/G /O Aug- 28, 1962 G. TAYLOR 3,050,967

PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS 0N STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Inventor aeargt Tny fil G. TAYLOR Aug. 28, 1962 PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS ON STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 20, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Inventor Y @earge Taylor WJJfiJL Aug. 28, 1962 ca. TAYLOR 3,050,967

PRODUCTION OF GARMENTS oN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 F/a/a. W

United States 3 050 967 PRODUCTION OF S ON STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES George Taylor, Brookfield, Arnold, England, assignor to William Cotton Limited Filed Nov. 20, 1956, Ser. No. 623,370 7 Claims. (Cl. 6688) are transferred to the needles of a plain knitting machine so that plain fabric is then produced in continuation of the rib fabric. This process has several disadvantages, one of which is that production time is wasted by the running on of the lengths of rib fabric, and another is that production of the garments is dependent on there being a good supply of the lengths of rib fabric ready for running on to transfer bars, and'on having a sufiicient number of loaded bars ready when required for transfer to the plain knitting machine.

Further disadvantages are that additional machines are required to produce the lengths of rib fabric which incidentally takes up floor space which might be taken up more profitably and operators must be employed for knitting, separating, and topping the rib fabric lengths. Furthermore it is not always satisfactory to knit rib and plain fabric by the known method as it may result in miss-matching of yarn or colour.

An object of the invention is to enable the production of garments incorporating both plain and rib fabric in a more satisfactory manner than heretofore.

The invention provides. a method of producing, on a straight bar knitting machine, knitted articles having rib fabric and plain fabric portions knitted consecutively with corresponding numbers of Wales, which consists in knitting plain fabric on consecutive needles of one bed of needles which are of the same number and have the same spacing as the Wales required in the fabric, knitting rib fabric by knitting the wales required in one face thereof on a second bed of needles having the same number and spacing as the number and spacing of the wales required for that face of the rib fabric and by knitting the wales required in the other face of the rib fabric on selected needles of the first bed whilst the remaining needles of the first bed which correspond in number and spacing to the number and spacing of the needles of the second bed do not knit yarn, and changing from knitting rib fabric to knitting plain fabric automatically by relinquishing the loops on the needles of the second bed to said remaining needles of the first bed. Conveniently for knitting each course of the rib fabric, new yarn is fed to said consecutive needles of the first bed and said remaining needles of this bed have their beards pressed to cast off their kinks of new yarn without knitting them so that only said selected needles of this bed knit the yarn, and said kinks of yarn are received on theneedles of the second bed to be knitted thereby.

- The operation of said remaining needles in rib knitting simplifies the thread laying by forming the yarn kinks for the second bed of needles, thereby avoiding drawing initially long kinks for subsequent sharing with the second bed of needles. Conveniently also the change from rib knitting to plain knitting is effected by the needles of the second bed locating their loops in position to be penetrated by said remaining needles of the first bed, and by the needles of the second bed then retracting with their beards pressed to cast off their loops thereby relinquishing them to said remaining needles of the first bed.

In a method of knitting the articles in continuity, a roll welt may be knitted following the last course of plain fabric of each article and before knitting the first course of rib fabric for the next article by advancing the needles of the second bed to receive kinks of yarn from said remaining needles of the first bed as when rib knitting, continuing to knit sufiicient plain fabric for the welt on the consecutive needles of the first bed whilst said kinks of yarn are'retained on the needles of the second bed, and changing to rib knitting so that the needles of the second bed knit and knock over said kinks of the yarn into the fabric thereby completing the roll Welt. If desired a draw thread may be inserted after knitting the last course of plain fabric and before forming the welt.

In a method of knitting the articles and pressing off each article in turn, each article may be commenced by advancing the needles of the second bed to receive said kinks of yarn as when rib knitting, similarly advancing draw off hook instruments to engage said kinks of yarn,

then knitting a suflicient number of courses of plain fabric for the'welt on the consecutive needles of the first bed whilst the kinks of the yarn are retained by the needles of the second bed and the draw oif hook instruments retract said kinks of yarn along said needles and draw off the welt fabric, then changing to rib knitting so that the needles of the second bed knit and knock over said kinks of the yarn into the fabric, and continuing to draw of by the hook instruments until replaced by main draw off books.

The method of the invention is carried out on a straight bar knitting machine of the type disclosed in my US. Patent 2,132,135, and has point elements co-operating with said remaining needles of the first bed to cast off their loops, loop spreader or transfer needles constituting said needles of the second bed, and suitable operating and control means to effect the necessary movements of the needle beds and points, and said draw off hook instruments if provided, when required.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the arrangement which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the production of plain fabric.

FIGURE 2 is a like view showing the production of rib fabric according to the invention.

FIGURES 3 to 9 are perspective views showing the production of rib fabric in detail. 7

FIGURES 10 to 12 are similar perspective views showing the change from rib knitting to plain knitting.

FIGURE 13 is a diagrammatic showing of articles knitted in continuity.

FIGURE 14 consists of diagrams showing welt forming'between consecutive articles.

FIGURE 15 is a diagrammatic showing of articles I knitted and pressed 013?.

FIGURE 16 consists of diagrams shOWing'Welt forming at the commencement of each article.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 this shows a group of bearded needles 1 each with a loop'PL of plain knitted fabric PF thereon and represents the fact that, in a straight bar knitting machine, plain fabric PF is knitted on consecutive needles of one bed of frame needles which are of the same number and have the same spacing as the wales required in the fabric.

The expression frame needles is used herein with themeaning known in the art to signify that these needles belong to that part of a straight bar knitting machine 3 of the Cottons patent or othersimilar type known as the frame, and .as such are carried generally. vertical by a frame needle bar to which motions are imparted by suitable cam operated mechanism from the machines usual main cam shaft to obtain desired motions of all these needles in unison.

Similarly the expression machine needles is used herein with the meaning known in the art to signify that these needles belong to that part of a straight bar rib knitting machine of the Cottons patent .or other similar type known as the machine or rib machine--part and as such are carriedgenerally horizontally by a machine needle bar in which desired motions are imparted by a suitable cam operated mechanism from the machines main cam shaft to obtain desired motions of all these needles in unison.

Further, sinkers which divide laid yarn, knocking over bits, and channel points to be hereinafter referred to, are similarly mounted for movement in unison respectively as usual in Cottons type machines.

The mechanism (not shown) for imparting the necessary movement to the sinkers, knocking over bits, and points may be, as usual in Cottons type machines, a suitable cam operated mechanism operated from the machines main cam shaft, which together with the mechanism for the needle bars will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art;

FIGURE 2 shows the same frame needles 1, and also a second group of bearded needles 2 which represent the fact that the machine has a second bed of needles, i.e. a bed of machine needles 2. Thepresent example relates to the production particularly of 1 X 1 rib fabric RF and for this purpose the number of machine needles 2 is only half that of the frame needles 1 and the machine needles '2 are of two needle spacing so' as to co-operate with alternate frame needles 1A. FIGURE 2 further shows that lrib fabric RF is produced by the loops PLF of one face thereof being knitted on the other alternate frame needles 1B and the loops RLF of the other face thereof being knitted on the machine needles 2; thus it will be seen' that'the number and spacing of the machine needles 2 is: the same as the number and spacing of the wales, or loops RLF, required for the one face of the rib fabric, and that the wales, or loops PLF,'required in the other face of the rib fabric are knitted on selected, in this example alternate, frame needles 1B, whilst the remaining frame needles 1A which correspond in number and spacing to the number and spacing of the needlesof the second bed, i.e. two needle spacing, do not knit yarn.

To change automatically from rib knitting to plain 'knitting the loops RLF on the machine needles 2 are the type of Cotton machine referred to above, and in a manner which will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.

The production ofrib knitting is more fully shown in FIGURES 3 to 9, Referring now to FIGURE 3 this shows the frame needles 1 fully raised to receive new yarn, the machine needles 2 advanced, sinkers 3 and knocking over bits 4. Rib fabric RF has its last formed loops PLF on the frame needles 1 and its, last formed loops-RLF on the machine needles 2.

FIGURE 4 shows a newly fed yarn Y which is divided by advancing sinkers 3 on consecutive frame needles 1, and channel pointsS, one to each of said remainingvalternate frame needles 1A, pressingthe beards of 4 the remaining frame needles 1A above the level of the yarn Y. a

FIGURE 5 shows the frame needles 1 lowering whilst the kinks K of the yarn Y on the lowering frame needles 1A are landed on the beards of the needles as enabled by the channel points 5 having their points 5A outwardly bent.

FIGURE 6 shows a further lowering of the frame needles 1 to press their beards on the presser edge 6 and carry the yarn Y down the nebs 3A of the sinkers 3, the kinks K of yarn Y being cast off said remaining frame needles 1A so as to form bars K1 of yarn across'pairs of consecutive sinker nebs 3A above said remaining frame needles 1A and consequently above the machine needles 2 which are alongside these frame needles 1A (to the left in FIGURE 6). Said bars K1 of yarn extend between loops of yarn Y on said selected frame needles 1B. 1

FIGURE 7 shows the frame needles 1' fully lowered to knock over so that the said selected frame needles 1B draw new loops PLF through the old loops PLF and the kinks K of yarn fall onto the machine needles 2 clear of their beards.

FIGURE 8 shows the machine needles 2 retracting to press their beards under the presser edge 6 with the kinks K of yarn in the beards and the old loops RLF received on the beards. 7

FIGURE 9 shows the machine needles 2 retracted to knock over and having drawn new loops RLF of the kinks Kof yarn through the old loops RLF.

For the changing from rib knitting to plain knitting, reference is first made to FIGURE 10 which shows that the machine needles 2 are advanced again whilst the frame needles 1 are still down. Each machine needle 2 is, of loop spreader or transfer type having an offset split eyelet formed by a cranked spring strip 7 fixed to the shank of the needle at its end 8 and free at its end 9 nearest the beard of the needle. At this latter position the needle shank has a swelling 10 to mask the free end 9 of the strip 7. There is also an upward projection 11 on each needle shank near the position of said freexend 9 of the strip 7. In consequence of the shape of the machine needles 2 their advance causes their loops RLF to be spread laterally (to right in FIGURE 1-0) in a position over said remaining frame needles 1A, the projections 11 also engaging the loops RLF to hold them in that position as shown. 1

FIGURE 11 shows that the frame needles 1 have been raised for said remaining frame needles 1A to penetrate said loops RLF on the machine needles 2 and also moved movements referred to for FIGURE 11 the frame needles 1 have returned to feeding height for the next course, and the machine needles 2 have retracted to inoperative position during which they have cast off their loops RLF over their pressed beards thereby relinquishing these loops to said remaining frame needles 1A which penetrated them. Consequently consecutive frame needles 1 now have loops on them and are thereafter operatedto produce plain fabric on a straight .bar plain knitting machine of the Cottons type'in' conventional manner.

Referring now to FIGURE 13 this shows knitted articles KA produced in continuity with rib fabric bands RFB and body plain fabric BPF produced consecutively and a roll welt between successive articles; FIGURE 14 shows how the roll welt is formed. In the first diagram of FIGURE 14 the frame needles 1 are at feeding height to receive new yarn Y when the last course PC of plain knitting has been formed for'one article, and machine needles 2 are shown being advanced into action. The second diagram shows the machine needles'having received a length of plain fabric having been made on consecutive frame needles 1 whilst said kinks K of yarn Y are retained by the machine needles in retracted position. The

fourth diagram shows the machine needles again having beenadvanced to receive kinks K of yarn Y as in rib knitting and having partly retracted to locate the kinks K behind their beards. The fifth diagram shows the machine needle 2 having retracted to knock over and draw new loops through. the kinks K which are cast off to the fabric. The sixth diagram shows the following production of rib fabric with the welt between the successive articles in roll form.

FIGURE 15 shows an article produced in a method where each article is pressed off in turn, with a roll welt at the commencement of each article and a rib fabric band RFB and a plain fabric body PFB produced consecutively in the manner above described.

Comparison between FIGURES 14 and 16 will show that in order to start with a roll welt for this latter method substantially similar steps are carried out ,with the addition however of draw oif hook instruments 12 which are operated to also engage said kinks K of yarn (diagram two) to draw off the Welt fabric and carry it along the machine needles, (diagram 4) whilst the frame needles knit the welt of plain fabric. These draw off hook instruments 12 remain engaged with said kinks K (diagrams 5, 6 and 7) until a sufficient length of the fabric after the welt has been made to permit the attachment of main draw 01f hooks whereupon the draw oif hook instruments are disengaged from the fabric.

The employment of operating and control means for producing the articles as above will present no .difliculty to those skilled in the art and is therefore not described in detail. Sufi-ice it to say that suitable cam operating means are provided for the machine needles, and the points, to operate them in the manner required at the different times, operating means is provided for operating the draw-off hook instruments, if provided, and control means such for example as cam or cam follower shogging means and a pattern chain are provided for rendering the different operating means effective and ineffective at required times.

What I claim is:

1. A method of producing knitted blanks with plain and rib courses on a two-bank straight bar knitting machine having a group of simultaneously operable plain needles composed of certain spaced plain needles and intervening plain needles and a group of simultaneously operable spaced rib needles which match in number and spacing with the intervening plain needles which method comprises the steps of knitting plain fabric jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said intervening plain needles knitting rib fabric jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said spaced rib needles and inter-changing yarn between said intervening plain needles and the matched spaced rib needles to produce a matched arrangement of intervening plain needle loops in the plain knitting and rib needle loops in the rib knitting whereby there is an equal number of single loops per course in the plain fabric and in the rib fabric.

2. A method of producing knitted blanks with plain and rib courses on a two-bank straight bar knitting machine having a group of simultaneously operable plain needles composed of certain simultaneously operable spaced plain needles and intervening plain needles and a group of spaced rib needles which match in number and spacing with the intervening plain needles which method comprises the steps of knitting plain fabric jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said intervening plain needles, knitting ribfabric jointlyon said certain spaced plain needles and said spaced rib needles and interchanging yarn between said intervening plain needles and the matched spaced rib needles to produce a matched 6 arrangement of intervening plain needle loops in the plain knitting, and rib loops in the rib knitting by at one time simultaneously relinquishing to the matched spaced rib needles kinks of yarn newly fed and divided on the intervening plain needles, and at another time simultaneously transferring the rib needle loops, following a rib knitted course, from the spaced rib needles to the matching intervening plain needles for whereby there is an equal number of single loops per course in the plain fabric and in the rib fabric.

3. A method of producing knitted blanks with plain and rib courses on a two-bank straight bar knitting machine having a group of simultaneously operable plain needles with hooks and composed of certain simultaneously operable spaced plain needles and intervening plain needles, a hook-closing point for each intervening plain needle, a group of spaced rib needles which match in number and spacing with the intervening plain needles, and a loop-spreader element for each spaced rib needle, which method comprises the steps of knitting plain fabric jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said intervening plain needles, forming a group of yarn kinks jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said intervening plain needles, relatively moving the hook-closing points and the plain needles to close the hooks of the intervening plain needles and cause said intervening plain needles to cast off their yarn kinks, causing the matched spaced rib needles to receive the cast-off yarn kinks, knitting rib fabric from the yarn kinks jointly by said certain spaced plain needles and said spaced rib needles, operating the loop spreader elements to spread the rib needle loops following a rib knitted course, and operating the needles for the spread rib needle loops to be cast off the spaced rib needles and be taken on the matching intervening plain needles, for knitting of intervening plain needle loops in the plain knitting matching with the ribneedle loops, whereby there is an equal number of single loops per course in the plain fabric and inthe rib fabric.

' 4. A method of producing knitted blanks with plain courses and rib courses on a straight bar knitting machine having having a group of simultaneously operable plain needles with beards composed of certain simultaneously operable spaced plain needles and intervening plain needles each with a cooperating sinker, a. beard-closing point for each intervening plain needle and having a bent back tip, and a group of spaced loop spreader rib needles, which match in number and spacing With the intervening plain needles, which method comprises the steps of knitting plain fabric jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said intervening plain needles, forming by the sinkers a group of yarn kinks jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said intervening plain needles, relatively moving the beard-closing points and the plain needles to close the beards of the intervening plain needles and cause the latter yarn kinks to be landed on the beards as allowed by the bent back tips of the points and to cause said intervening plain needles to cast off their yarn kinks on to the sinkers, retracting the sinkers to cause the yarn kinks to drop on to the spaced loop-spreader rib needles knitting rib fabric from the yarn kinks jointly on said certain spaced plain needles and said spaced loop spreader rib needles, operating the spaced loop spreader rib needles following a rib knitting course to spread their rib needle loops operating the plain needles for the intervening plain needles to enter the spread rib needle loops, and operating the spaced loop spreader rib needles to cast off the spread rib needle loops on to the matching intervening plain needles for knitting of intervening plain needle loops in the plain knitting matching with the rib needle loops whereby there is an equal number of single loops per course in the'plain fabric and in the rib: fabric.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the plain and spaced rib needles are set out in a formation and of two plain needles to one spaced rib need1e,.s-aid certain spaced plain needles are constituted by alternate of the plain needles so that the rib'kn'itting is" of 1 x 1 formation in which alternate Wales arelplain Wales and the other alternate wales are rib Wales a 6. A method as claimed in claim 3 which includes, following a last course of plain fabric, causing the intervening plain needles to relinquish their yarn kinks to the spaced rib needles, retaining these yarn kinks on the spaced rib needles and knitting a length of plain fabric for a roll welt on the plain needles, and then changing to rib knitting and casting ofi the retained yarn kinks as rib needle loops in the fabric.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3, the machine having hooked welt instruments, which includes causing the intervening plain needles to relinquish their yarn kinks to the spaced rib needles and to the hooked welt instruments in the formation of an initial welt course, retaining these yarn kinks by the spaced rib needles and hooked welt instruments and knittingaalength of plain fabric for a Welt on the plain needles, and then changing to rib knitting and casting off the retained yarn kinks from the spaced rib needles as rib needle loops in the fabric, and

7 drawing off the fabric by the hooked welt instruments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,418,345 Witherell June 6, 1922 2,132,135 Taylor Oct. 4, 1938 2,442,442 Shortland June 1, 1948 2,718,129 Seiler Sept. 20, 1955 2,750,771 PiltZ June 19', 1956 2,791,108 Walker May 7, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 232,231 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1925 

